A circular box with an enamel tartan decoration. The hinged cover opens to expose a plain interior. However, the hidden double lid opens to reveal a finely enamelled portrait of Prince Charles Edward Stuart (1720 - 1788) dressed in a tartan jacket with the orders of the Garter and Thistle decorations, white cockade and blue bonnet. Hidden portrait snuff boxes such as this are amongst the most iconic Jacobite works of art. This example is in particularly good condition and finely enamelled. The portrait is a variant of the famous Robert Strange example which likely date this piece to circa 1750. Purchased in 2019 with the assistance of the Art Fund and National Fund for Acquisitions.
This decorative dirk is part of a Highland outfit. In addition to the blade there is small knife and fork that fit neatly into the leather scabbard. The handles are carved from wood and decorated with metal studs. The dirk belonged to the Earl of Breadalbane. He wore this dirk in Edinburgh for the visit of George IV (1762 - 1830) in 1822. The visit of George IV was a very special occasion full of pomp and pageantry. It was the first time a reigning British monarch had visited Scotland since Charles II in 1651. The visit was orchestrated by the writer Sir Walter Scott who organised a Highland festival to celebrate the visit of the King. The event was important as it reinvented many Scottish traditions for its Georgian audience, including a passion for all things tartan. This somewhat false image of Highland heritage persists to this day.
This is a very fine portrait of Clementina Walkinshaw (1720–1802), by renowned Scottish artist Allan Ramsay (1713 – 1784). Clementina became the mistress of Prince Charles Edward Stuart (1720 - 1788) in Scotland during the 1745 Rising. They first met in 1746 when Clementina was living with her Uncle at Bannockburn. She was reunited with him in Ghent in 1752 where they rekindled their relationship. In October 1753 Clementina gave birth to Charles’ only daughter, Charlotte. The relationship lasted until 1760 when Clementina and Charlotte fled to a convent, to escape Charles’ increasingly violent and drunken behaviour. Allan Ramsay was the most accomplished Scottish portrait painter of the 18th century and was appointed to the position of King’s painter by George III. In October 1745 he was invited to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh where produced the only portrait of Prince Charles Edward Stuart known to have been painted in Scotland. The portrait was used as a blueprint for painted and engraved versions, which were employed to promote the Jacobite cause. Examples of miniatures made from the Robert Strange engraving are showcased in this gallery.
This is a series of four panoramic photographs documenting Princess Margaret's visit to Fort William in 1965. They are important to our photographic collection, not only because they recorded a royal visit, but because they were taken by pioneering Fort William photographer Andy Paton. Paton invented his own camera with a special rotating lens that enabled him to take wide-screen images in an era before they were common place. Paton is usually remembered for his panoramic landscape photography and was famous in the 1970s for his photographic tour titled “Highland Panorama”. These images are outside his usual focus. The Paton Photographic Collection is a very large collection in the care of the West Highland Museum. This is an extensive collection of slides focusing on Highland life is still in the process of being catalogued.
This prehistoric sword would have been a lethal tool of combat. It is a Bronze Age sword and one of the earliest examples of craftmanship in metal by mankind. It was found at Lochdar, South Uist in 1865. Bronze Age swords appeared from around the 17th century BC, however, this object was likely forged in the final centuries of the 2nd millennium when the swords became common place in Britain. They were replaced by iron swords during the early part of the 1st millennium BC. The sword is part of the Carmichael Collection. Alexander Carmichael (1832-1912) was a pioneering Victorian folklorist who collected extensively throughout the Highlands and Islands. Parts of the Carmichael Collection was gifted to the museum, while his archive is in the care of Edinburgh University.
This beaker was found in a cist in a gravel knoll above the Nether Lochaber Hotel, Corran near Fort William in February 1889. It is very special as it dates to the Beaker period, around 4,000 years ago. The beaker was immersed in water when first found to prevent it disintegrating on exposure to the air. It promptly fell to pieces in the water and had to be reconstructed by the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland. It was repaired with plaster of paris. The beaker was presented to Maclean of Ardgour and remained in the MacLean family until it was gifted to the West Highland Museum in 1990.
This is a rim and shoulder of a late Bronze Age hanging bowl that has been spun from a single piece of bronze. There is one escutcheon with a ring that would have been used for suspending the bowl. Hanging bowls are a bit of a mystery because their intended function has not been established. This bowl was recovered from a kitchen midden at Castle Tioram sometime before 1928.
Stretcher invented by Donald Duff (1893-1968) and used by Lochaber Mountain Rescue team (LMRT) whose patch includes Ben Nevis. Duff was a doctor, pioneer of Scottish mountain rescue, inventor, author, and the leader of LMRT in the late 1940s and 1950s. As chief surgeon at the Belford Hospital in Fort William he would often treat the casualties he had just rescued in the hospital still dressed in his mountain attire. Donald Duff invented this stretcher in 1944. It was in common use until it was replaced by the MacInnes Stretcher. The MacInnes stretcher was invented by local mountaineering legend Hamish MacInnes (1930 – 2020) who used some of the features of the Duff stretcher in his design. The MacInnes MK1 came into use in the early 1960s and later versions of it is still used by Scottish mountain rescue teams today.
This glass bottle contains a fine whisky said to be almost 200 years old. The faded label reads "from Jas. Young, Family Grocer, Wine & Spirit Merchant, High St. Fort William". James Young died in 1894. The whisky was gifted to the museum by Young’s successor, Walter Cameron. The second object is a copper smuggler's measure. The measure has been holed by the dastardly Excise men so that it could not be used again. It was found under the old hotel at Invergarry and gifted to the museum in 1926.
Musettes are small, elegant bagpipes that were fashionable in French court circles in the 17th and 18th centuries. This set of French bellows-type bagpipes known as a musette are extraordinary as they may once have belonged to Prince Charles Edward (1720 - 1788). They are made from wood, with leather bellows, a velvet bag, and are covered with silver lace trimming. The fittings and silver keys are made from ivory. A small oval silver plaque reads "bequeathed by the late Prince to --Steuart, wife of his Valet-de-Chambre, and purchased by I Skene of Rubislaw, Rome, 1802".
These postcards are part of a much larger collection sent by John McCallum to his wife Mary from France during the Great War. They married in Ballachulish in April 1916, but six months later John was shipped off to fight on the Western Front. He served as a Sergeant in the 13th Battalion of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. Between October 1916 and February 1919 John sent Mary numerous postcards detailing his life in France. Embroidered cards like these were popular with the troops. They were made by local French women as a way of supplementing their income and sold to soldiers as gifts to send home. The postcards were gifted to the West Highland Museum in 2019 by John and Mary’s granddaughter.
This is a MacInnes Massey all metal ice axe. The Massey was one of the first metal-shafted ice axes manufactured in Britain. These ice axes revolutionised the sport of mountaineering. It was invented by Glencoe resident Hamish MacInnes (1930 – 2020). His decision to manufacture this design was taken in the early 1960s after he found two broken wooden axes on Ben Nevis, where two mountaineers were killed in a fall. MacInnes was an icon of mountaineering and is also known around the world as the father of mountain rescue. This axe along with a selection of mountaineering objects are on long term loan to the museum from the Scottish Mountain Heritage Collection.
"Letters and News at the Lochside"
This very large oil painting by Henry Tanworth Wells (1828–1903) hangs at Arisaig House. It was a wedding gift to Gertrude Astley from her sisters when she married in 1883. It was painted specifically for Arisaig House. The painting was bequested to the West Highland Museum, but is on long term loan to Arisaig House where it is still displayed in the space it was intended for. The painting can be viewed by the public by appointment. The painting is titled "Letters and News at the Lochside" and depicts the postman Donald MacDonald of Achraig, Duncan McCrae (the boy), F. D. P. Astley, Sir John Millais, John MacDonald, boat captain: Donald MacDonald, a MacRae, Sir Henry Halford, Angus MacDonald (the water bailiff of Arienskill, and father of the yacht captain), and Mr Henry Evans.
This gorgeous dress was made in India, but has connections with the Highlands. It belonged to Barbara Morrison, who had been born in Inverness. She married a William FitzHenry in Jersey in December 1856, a Colour Sergeant with the 60th Regiment of Foot. They travelled to India together where the Regiment was stationed at Bellary Fort between 1867 and 1872. The dress is made from a lightweight cotton fabric and is beautifully embellished with silk embroidery and beetle wings. These wings from the elytra of the jewel beetle have been used for centuries in the highly elaborate embroideries of the far east. The soldiers wives would have commissioned dresses be made in the western fashion as this one is.
This pair of late Bronze Age gold pennular armlets were found at Kilmallie, just outside Fort William. The fascinating story behind them relates to their discovery. In 1871 a crofter had a dream that he would find treasure if he dug at a certain spot. He dug at the spot and found these wonderful gold armlets. The crofter presented the armlets to the landowner, Cameron of Lochiel, who in return allowed the crofter to live on his land rent free for life. The armlets are on long term loan to the museum.
A fine example of a mid-18th century drinking glass with an air twist stem, engraved with Jacobite symbols. Drinking toasts to the exiled Stuart dynasty was an important part of Jacobite secret culture. Jacobites would often pass their glass over a water bowl to toast their “King across the water”. Another popular toast was “to the little gentleman in the black velvet waistcoat,” which was a reference to William of Orange’s horse tripping over a mole hill. The fall caused him to break his collar bone and he subsequently died when he contracted pneumonia. The Jacobite symbols engraved on this glass are typical. The six-pointed star represents royalty. A rose signifies James VIII (II of England, 1688 - 1766) and buds represent Prince Charles Edward (1720 - 1788) and his younger brother, Prince Henry Benedict (1725 – 1807). The motto “Fiat” translates as “Let it be” as in let it be a Stuart restoration to the throne.
A tooth mounted in a hand-carved ivory frame. The tooth is said to have belonged to Prince Charles Edward Stuart (1720 - 1788). It is very rare and thought to be the only known example of a tooth from the Prince in any museum collection. The tooth is barely worn and would suggest it was probably removed from him as a child. It was gifted to the museum by the Fairfax-Lucy’s of Callart House in 1975.
An anamorphic hidden painting of Prince Charles Edward Stuart (1720 - 1788). At first glance the object appears to be a smear of oil paints on a black wooden board, but when paired with a mirrored cylinder, the true nature of this unique object is revealed. Prince Charlie is reflected right back at you! Discovered by chance in a London junk shop in 1924 and purchased for £8 by the museum’s founder, Victor Hodgson, it has been a star object in our collection ever since. In the 18th century it was treasonable to support the exiled Stuart dynasty, so their supporters known as Jacobites, devised ways to secretly display their loyalty. They developed an elaborate series of codes and symbols to hide their allegiances from the ruling Hanoverian regime. This is one of the most unusual examples of Jacobite material culture. The portrait would have been used to drink toasts to the exiled Prince. If a non-Jacobite came into the room, the cylinder could be whisked away and allegiances hidden. The Secret Portrait featured in the West Highland Museum’s “Prince Charles Edward and the ’45 Campaign” exhibition, 1925.
This tiny silver water cruet was found by chance in a local river. It was used by a priest to officiate at communion. It is engraved with the letter “A” for aqua. A corresponding cruet for wine would be engraved with a “V”. It was found in the burn near the Cranachan Road Mass Stone in Glen Roy around 1880. Catholics were often persecuted in Scotland and during these periods worshiped in secret at open air masses. The Mass Stone is still located in Glen Roy. In 1966 A MacDonell and D McRoberts published an article in the Innes Review titled ‘The Mass Stones of Lochaber’* featuring the story of the Crananchan Road Mass Stone and the discovery of the lost water cruet.
This local Lochaber scene depicts women waulking cloth on the shores of Loch Nan Uamh. Six women are seated in a rough circle wielding short mallets and evidently singing, while another group observe them. People waulked the cloth they had woven. This meant that they pulled or stretched the tartan into shape. During the waulking process, they sang Gaelic songs and recited poetry to keep themselves amused. The painting was created by Jemima Wedderburn Blackburn (1823 – 1909) a renowned Scottish artist who lived at Roshven. Although she received no formal training in art, she was a watercolourist of outstanding ability. She had connections with many of the Victorian artistic and intellectual élite and formed life-long friendships with Landseer, Millais and Ruskin, who described her as 'the best artist he knew'. This painting was purchased with the support of The National Fund for Acquisitions to commemorate the 80th anniversary of founding of the West Highland Museum.
A framed fragment of cloth decorated with brown sprigged stripes on a cream background. It is mounted on a glazed wooden and silver frame. The piece is said to have been from a dress worn by Flora MacDonald (1722 -1790), heroine of the 1745 Rising. Flora helped the Prince escape while he was on the run from the Hanoverian army in 1746. She obtained permission from her step-father, the head of the local militia, to travel from South Uist to the mainland, accompanied by two servants and a crew of six boatmen. Famously, the Prince was disguised as Betty Burke, her Irish maid. Flora quickly became a celebrated heroine of the Rising and relics associated with her became very collectable.
“Little Office of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” prayer book. Originally bound in plain card it has decorated with an intricate design of woven coloured straw. Published by Joachim Carlier at St Omer Audomari in 1672, the prayer book was one of the most popular devotions of the Roman Catholic laity before the Reformation. The prayer book belonged to Flora MacDonald’s mother and was used by Flora. The straw decoration is rare, the only known examples of similar works of books decorated with woven straw found in the United Kingdom date from a later period and were made by Napoleonic prisoners of war.
This painting of skies near Mallaig was gifted to the West Highland Museum by the artist’s widow Magda Salvesen in1994. Jon Schueler (1916–1992) was regarded as a member of the New York Abstract Expressionist school of art. He first visited Scotland in 1957 where he travelled to Lochaber. He felt inspired by the turbulent skies and set up a studio near Mallaig on the Sound of Sleat, a stretch of water that runs between the Scottish mainland and the Isle of Skye. Schueler lived at Romasaig for five years in the 1970s and returned most years until his death. Dramatic changes in weather conditions are common in the area and Schueler dramatically captures these in his paintings
This portrait titled “Mrs Ryan” has been selected because the sitter and artist have close links to Lochaber. Keith Henderson (1883–1982) was a Scottish painter who worked in both oils and watercolours. He had a long professional career and served as a war artist in both the First and Second world wars. Henderson lived near Spean Bridge for a time. The sitter, Elizabeth Ryan, nee MacDonald (1863 - 1954) was a founder member of the West Highland Museum and our Chairman from 1938 until 1950. She was an inspirational lady. She married a tea planter and lived in Ceylon until 1920. When her husband died, she returned to Lochaber and moved to Roy Bridge where she was very active in the community. She founded the SWRI in Spean Bridge and was the Inverness-Shire President for 27 years. She was on the Board at the Belford Hospital and a Manager for St Andrew’s Ambulance. She was also actively involved in the Catholic Church, playing organ at Roy Bridge Church. She is pictured taking tea on a MacDonald tartan tablecloth.
In 1929 the Lochaber aluminium smelter opened in Fort William. The British Aluminium Company had developed an area of 303 square miles around Ben Nevis where there is an average rainfall of 406 cm per year. This was ideal for the hydro-electric scheme that would be needed to manufacture the aluminium. This small block of aluminium was made from the first cast produced on 30 December 1929. The ingot was given to one of the senior members of the construction staff. The smelter has been an important employer in Fort William for more than 90 years. It is still operational and the last remaining aluminium smelter in the United Kingdom.
Said to have been made more than 800 years ago, the Faery bagpipes of Kinlochmoidart, are very special as they are thought to be one of the oldest set of pipes in existence and the first with two holes, adding an extra sounding hole at the end of the chanter. The legend is that the MacIntyre piper made the pipes after he had a dream where a “faery” came to him and told him to ‘Heat up your poker until it’s white hot and pierce the bottom of your chanter side to side and it will make the sweetest sound in Scotland.’ The pipes were said to have been played at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 by MacIntyre, Clanranald's piper. The pipes are supposed to be enchanted and never been played by the losing side of a battle. Only the chanter now survives of the original, the blow-pipe, the drone and the tartan bag date from a later period. An engraved silver plate has also been added to the drone to commemorate the pipe’s importance. When Macintyre's descendant emigrated to America early in the 19th century, the pipes were left in the care of Lieut. Colonel Donald Macdonald of the Royal Scots, 7th of Kinlochmoidart, so that they should not leave the Highlands. They are now on long term loan to the museum. In July 2018 the pipes were played at the Clan MacIntyre clan gathering. This was only the fourth time they had been played in 200 years. The video shows Ruaraidh Petre MacIntyre playing the pipes in Glenoe by Loch Etive, the ancestral lands of MacIntyres.
This Neolithic stone axe was found at Keppoch near Roy Bridge in 1876. It came into the museum’s collection in 1936. Axes were adapted for many uses and vary in size and shape. The axe has been ground and polished, a new technique introduced during the Neolithic period.
West Highland Museum exhibition catalogue
A catalogue for the 1925 West Highland Museum’s exhibition titled “Prince Charles Edward and the ’45 Campaign”. The West Highland Museum was founded in 1922 by a group of local history enthusiasts under the guidance of museum founder, Victor Hodgson. The museum did not have a permanent building until 1926, but ran a series of summer exhibitions as it started its fledgling collection. The 1925 exhibition was the museum’s first major exhibition and significant loans and acquisitions were obtained to make the event possible. This book illustrates how the Jacobites have been at the core of the museum’s collections policy since its inception. This copy of the catalogue belonged to one Duncan Grant and tucked inside is a letter from our founder Victor Hodgson thanking him for sending the packages which arrived safely “which are lying in the bank safe until we arrange the Exhibition”.
A copper printing plate commissioned by Prince Charles Edward Stuart (1720 - 1788) in 1746. Designed and etched by the artist Robert Strange (1721 -1792), the plate is completely unique and was intended to be used to print bank notes during the 1745 Rising, but was never used. When the Jacobite army was defeated at the Battle of Culloden, the army fled and the plate was found abandoned at Loch Laggan. It was presented to Clan MacPherson and remained in their care until the museum purchased it in 1928. The object featured in the West Highland Museum’s “Prince Charles Edward and the ’45 Campaign” exhibition, 1925.
A paper and ivory fan depicting Prince Charles Edward Stuart (1720 - 1788) with the Mars, Roman god of war, and Bellona, Roman goddess of war. They are surrounded by other classical gods. The figures to the right are reputed to be the family of the Hanoverian King George II fleeing. This design is by tradition attributed to Robert Strange, the Jacobite engraver. These fans were said to have been distributed to ladies at a ball at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh in 1745. Prince Charles held the ball to celebrate the Jacobite victory at the Battle of Prestonpans. They are an important example of Jacobite material culture.
This object has been included in the gallery because its purpose is a bit of a mystery. It is believed to be a type of wooden quern made from bog oak. It was found in the Crinan peat bog and is a much sturdier specimen than it would appear. Querns were used from ancient times to grind grain. More usually they are made from stone.
This trooping helmet belonged to James Graham, 1st Marquis of Montrose (1612-1650). Montrose was a Scottish nobleman, poet and soldier. He initially joined the Covenanters in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, but subsequently supported King Charles I as the English Civil War developed. He has a close association with Lochaber as the second battle of Inverlochy in February 1645 was one of his greatest victories. Marching his men across the frozen foothills around Ben Nevis, Montrose surprised and defeated his enemy.
This heavy brass sporran cantle with an incised pattern once belonged to the legendary Highland outlaw Rob Roy MacGregor (1671 - 1734). Tradition has it that this sporran was given to him by a wee girl who brought him food while he was in hiding during his years as an outlaw. MacGregor was a staunch Jacobite, a soldier, businessman, cattle-rustler and outlaw. But, above all he was a folk hero, whose transformation into a larger-than-life figure began with Daniel Defoe's fictionalised biography "Highland Rogue". This was published while Rob Roy's was still alive and led to his Royal Pardon in 1726 that allowed him to live out his final years quietly, literally a legend in his own lifetime.
This basket hilted broadsword dates from either the late 17th or early 18th century. Basket-hilts were swords with a basket-shaped guard to protect the hand, and were common throughout Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. The most famous of this type in Scotland was the Scottish Claymore. Although this sword is in fairly decayed condition it has been included in the gallery because it has fascinating story behind it. It was found by chance in a cave at the head of Loch Treig called Craig-guanach in 1880 and given to Sir Alfred MacAulay, who gifted it to the museum in 1938. When it was found the bones of a man's arm and hand were found holding the sword. Tradition has it that there was a big clan battle near Craig-guanach and it is possible that a clansman injured in the battle crawled into the cave and died there.
Silver quaichs are used by Scots to take a wee dram of whisky. This silver quaich has a fascinating story to tell and is said to have been drunk from by royalty on four occasions. Tradition says Prince Charles Edward Stuart drank from the quaich during the 1745 Rising. Prince Albert drank from it in 1847, followed by Queen Victoria in 1873 and the Prince of Wales in the 1930s. The quaich is mentioned in Queen Victoria's Highland Journals. Queen Victoria's Highland Journal for 13th September 1873 reads: "As we came through Ballachulish the post boy suddenly stopped, and a very respectable, stout looking old Highlander stepped up to the carriage with a silver quaich, out of which he said Prince Charles had drunk, and also my dearest Albert in 1847, and begged that I would do the same. A table, covered with a cloth and with a bottle on it, was on the other side of the road. I felt I could hardly refuse, and therefore tasted some whisky out of it, which delighted the people who were standing around."
The birching table is from the old court house in Fort William where the birchings were carried out. It was last used in 1948, when a 15-year-old boy was birched for shoplifting". It is easy to forget in the present day how recent it was that corporal punishment was thought fitting and useful both as a punishment and deterrent. Right up until the mid-twentieth century it was a common punishment administered to the perpetrators of petty crimes. The birching involved having to lie face down on a table with arms tied together underneath, and legs held still by strong straps. A bundle of stripped rods of birch was then used to whip the recipient's bare buttocks. Occasionally the back and/or shoulders were whipped, and the type, number and weight of branches used (as well as the number of strokes) varied with the severity of the crime. It was legally required to have a doctor on hand when these punishments were being administered, although this may have been of little comfort to the recipient.
A hard tartan jacket made in Uist. With linen lined sleeves. The colourful tartan lining differs between the skirts and bodice. It is a fantastic example of 18th century textile design. It is said to have been worn at the Battle of Culloden in 1746. The battle on Drummossie Moor outside Inverness, was the last pitched battle to be fought on British soil and the final engagement of the 1745 Rising fought between the Jacobite and Hanovarian armies.
A beautifully carved powder horn with a detailed Celtic design. Powder horns were generally made from horn and used to store gunpowder. This particular object is of great importance as by tradition it belonged to the Gaelic poet, Alasdair MacMhaighstir Alasdair (1700 – 1780). Alasdair lived in Moidart, was the Clan Ranald Bard, and wrote pro-Jacobite poetry. He was among the first to enlist in the 1745 Rising, joining the cause when the Standard was raised at Glenfinnan. He served as a Captain in Clan Ranald’s Regiment throughout the conflict and became Prince Charles Edward Stuart’s (1720 - 1788) Gaelic tutor. He fought at the Battle of Culloden and after the failure of the Rising he went into hiding with his family until 1747.
This unimposing curved stool made from a tree root has a fascinating history. A label attached to the object states “Stool on which Prince Charlie sat when in hiding in Uist after Culloden.” It was given to the pioneering Victorian folklorist Alexander Carmichael (1832-1912) by Rachel MacDonald, the great granddaughter of Morag MacDonald. Legend has it that three sisters living on a croft on Uist provided food to Prince Charles Edward Stuart (1720 - 1788) one evening when his party passed through the area when they were on the run from Hanoverian troops in 1746. When the sisters realised who their visitor was, they quarrelled as to whom should keep the stool. Morag won the fight and the stool became a treasured family heirloom, until it was gifted to Alexander Carmichael. Part of the Carmichael Collection is now in the museum’s care, while his archive is in the care of Edinburgh University.
This blackthorn walking stick is special for its association with the 1745 Rising. Soon after Prince Charles Edward Stuart (1720 - 1788) first arrived on the Scottish mainland he stayed at Kinlochmoidart House before he proceeded to Glenfinnan where he raised the Standard and signalled the start of the 1745 Rising. This walking stick was carried by Donald Macdonald of Kinlochmoidart (born before 1705 – 1746) at the raising of the Standard on 19 August 1745. He was captured during the rising and executed at Carlisle in October 1746.
This blackthorn walking stick belonged to the famous Scottish Gaelic bard Iain Lom MacDonald (1624 – 1710). He carried it by him after the Battle of Inverlochy in February 1645. He lost his sword during the battle, but managed to fight his way home to Keppoch, near Roy Bridge. Iain was the most outstanding of the Keppoch bards. Lom is the Gaelic word for bald; his nickname rather than a surname. Iain was a Stuart loyalist all his life and Charles II made him his poet laureat. When his young clan chief was murdered, he endured great danger and hardship to bring the guilty to justice, cutting off the heads of the murderers. Today there is a monument beside the Inverness Road at Tobar nan Ceann, The Well of the Heads, where Iain washed his grizzly trophies before presenting them to MacDonnell of Invergarry.
By the late 1890s a unique system of mail dispatch had developed on the remote Scottish archipelago of St Kilda. Letters were enclosed in a waterproof receptacle, usually a sheep’s bladder, attached to a homemade buoy, and launched into the sea in the hope that they would wash ashore on the mainland and be forwarded on by whoever chanced upon them. They were aiming for them to find land in the Outer Hebrides on the Isle of Lewis, but depending on the current, it could take weeks or months for letters to reach their destination. There are records of mailboats washing ashore as far afield as Norway. Life of these remote islands was harsh and in August 1930 the island was evacuated on the request of the islanders and the archipelago abandoned. This mailboat came into the museum’s care sometime before 1938.
This object is a bit of a mystery. Known as the Clanranald Anvil, it probably dates back to the 14th or 15th century. It is a very heavy irregular lump of iron, and could also be called a swaging block, for the precise shaping of sheet metal by an armourer. There is some speculation it could be a meteorite, but this has yet to be proven. It was found in the 1920s by a man named John MacDonald among the remains of a deserted settlement at Upper or High Mingarry on the rugged and remote Moidart peninsula in the western Highlands. It was then given to the parish priest, one Father Campbell, who kept it on the outside windowsill of his house for many years. It was by tradition in the custodianship of the priest of Moidart. However, after it was twice stolen from the church it came into the care of the West Highland Museum in 1987.
This hard-tartan dress was handmade on the Scottish island of Benbecula in the early half of 19th century. It shows signs of wear, tear and repair, indicating that it would have been worn by a working woman. It was collected by the pioneering Victorian collector and folklorist Alexander Carmichael (1832-1912). Part of the Carmichael Collection is now in the museum’s care, while his archive is in the care of Edinburgh University.
This pot still has a mysterious history. It was found abandoned anonymously on the steps of the museum in the 1920s. The damage was caused by some over-zealous excisemen determined that the still would not be used again. There was a long tradition of illicit distilling in the Highlands. The government tried to control whisky production, and the 1788 Excise Act banned the use of stills making less than 100 gallons (450 litres) at a time. Legal whisky was poor quality, due to the high taxes imposed on the malted grain used to make it. Since the illicit stills paid no tax, and could use good malted grain, their whisky could be smuggled to markets where it would fetch a higher price than that made by the licensed distilleries.
This fragment of plaid was gifted to the Museum in 1973 as part of a Bequest from Dr Charles Hepburn, a collector of Jacobite memorabilia. The sett matches the pattern of a section of plaid from a tartan at Moy Hall. The Moy Hall plaid was given to Lady MacKintosh by Prince Charles Edward Stuart when he stayed there in February 1746, the occasion of the famous Rout of Moy. It was common practice for the Prince to give sections of tartan as gifts to his supporters that he stayed with. This is an interesting example of Jacobite material culture as supporters collected and cherished relics associated with the Prince. This tartan was deemed so important that it was copied by later generations. This fragment could be an 18th century original, but is more likely to be a later 19th century version. An image of the original Moy Hall plaid is pictured in this gallery.
Print made by the prominent Scottish artist and etcher Sir D Y Cameron (1865 -1945). In 1928 The Strange Plate came into the museum’s collection, a copper plate made in 1746 and intended to print bank notes for the Jacobite cause. Cameron, was one of the earliest supporters of the museum which was founded in 1922. As one of the foremost printers of his day, he printed 57 signed proofs from the plate and these were sold for 10/6 to raise funds for the museum. Prints sold at auction in 2019 and 2020 made £875 and £1,625 respectively. The object featured in the West Highland Museum’s “Prince Charles Edward and the ’45 Campaign” exhibition, 1925.
“October in Knoydart”, is an oil on canvas signed by the artist. It depicts Lochaber’s wild mountainous scenery and was selected for the gallery because of the artist’s special relationship with the West Highland Museum. It was painted by Sir David Young Cameron (1865 – 1945) one of the foremost painters and printers of his day. Cameron had close links with the West Highlands and our museum. He was one of our earliest museum members and in 1928 printed proofs from the Strange Plate, an 18th century copper printing plate to raise funds for the museum. “October in Knoydart” hangs in our Jacobite gallery next to the printing plate and one of Cameron’s 1928 prints. It will tell the story not only of Cameron’s connection with the museum, but also the story of the aftermath of the 1745 Rising when Prince Charles Edward Stuart was on the run in the Highlands hiding in this landscape from the Hanoverian army. This painting was acquired with the assistance of Art Fund and National Fund for Acquisitions in 2020. It was purchased in memory of former Trustee John Gooch (1929 – 2019).
These are two silver Spanish pieces of eight found in Tobermory Bay off the Isle of Mull. The coins made an unusual journey to arrive in the West Highlands. In July 1588 the Spanish launched their armada of 130 ships with the intention of invading England. After the failure of the attack storms forced the remaining ships from the Armada north and some tried to return to Spain navigating the north coast of Scotland. One of the galleons, the Florencia, sheltered in Tobermory Bay in October 1588. According to documents she carried pay chests for the Spanish army. On the point of departure from the bay, the ship was damaged by an explosion and sank 275 metres off what is now the New Pier. Attempts to salvage the treasure have been made over the years, though Sacheverell, Governor of the Isle of Man is reported to have recovered most of the lost bullion on the first salvage expedition in 1688.
This powder horn has been showcased in the gallery because it is so beautifully decorative. The horn has been carved in a deeply incised rose design displaying the rose, the date 1698, and initials R.F. The stopper is made from wood carved to the shape of a thistle. Powder horns were containers used for storing gunpowder They were usually made from cattle horns, and were most commonly used with eighteenth century muskets. The use of nonferrous metal parts and naturally hollow animal horns ensured that the powder would not be detonated by sparks during storage and loading. Even though they were rendered obsolete by the development of breech-loading fire arms, these powder horns went back into production briefly during Victorian times as a fashionable accessory to 'traditional' Highland dress.
This is the largest object in the West Highland Museum collection and maybe one of the most intriguing. It came from the old fort (An Gearasdan) at Fort William and dates back to 1690. This was a strategic strong hold at the southern end of the Great Glen. Built in 1654 it was named Fort William, after King William III. The fort gained notoriety for its role in the infamous Glen Coe Massacre of 1692. It was unsuccessfully besieged by the Jacobites during the uprising of 1745, and served as a disembarkation point for those leaving Scotland during the Highland Clearances. When the old fort at Fort William was demolished, the wooden panelling from the Governor's house dining room was dismantled and re-erected inside the museum in 1937. Money for restoration was raised by a public appeal. When the layers of paper and colour wash had been scraped off the original eau de nil colour was revealed. The panelling was then restored to this original 17th century colouring. This room is very popular with Outlander fans because it featured in the first novel. Inside the room is a round mahogany Cromwellian wine table. It is reputed to have belonged to Colonel Hill, who was Governor of Fort William during the Massacre of Glencoe. There are other objects on display in the room relating to the old fort including the iron door key to the Governor's house and the lock to the gate of the old fort.
A good luck charm made for Colonel John Cameron of Fassiefern (1771 – 1815). It is made from tartan silk and contains a pebble, pieces of stalk, speedwell seeds sewn in, with a tiny padlock and a letter. The letter reads "Col. Cameron, 92 Regt. Foot. Sir: I am all gratitude for your former kindness. When I heard the regt. was leaving town I was more troubled than I can express. I am ever bound to pray for your welfare, as a token of my gratitude I send a small bag, if you should chance to go to battle, or an (..) of honour, it will be no great trouble to put it round your neck. I trust it will save you from your enemy, which is the wish of - your humble servant, Unity Mathews". It was gifted by Unity Mathews to the Colonel. It didn't bring him much luck though. He was killed at Quatre Bras in June 1815 the day before the Battle of Waterloo.
When land around the old fort was excavated to make way for the first rail line into Fort William in the 1890s, knives, cannon, and bullet moulds were found in the old fort. This cannon ball was found in the old Fort and is marked with a Government arrow.
Small wooden bowl possibly for soup of porridge. It was found in the Governor's House at Fort William when the fort was demolished in 1938.
This is a typical example of a 19th century Highland outfit made for a child. It comprises of a kilt, jacket, sash, sporran, and Glengarry. It belonged to Donald McNaughton (1854 - 1937) and he wore it when he was about 5 years old in living on the Isle of Skye.
Queen Victoria (1819 - 1901) certainly had a love of horse riding and was an accomplished equestrienne. This gold mounted riding whip belonged to the Queen and was gifted to the museum through the Hepburn Bequest in 1973.
This hard-tartan box pleated Stuart kilt in the Duke of Rothesay tartan and is said to have been worn by the Sobieski brothers. The tartan is their own design. It is unusual as it is a very early example of a sewn box pleated kilt and it is the earlies example of this pattern which first made its appearance in 1842. The Sobieski brothers modelled themselves as scholars of Highland dress, weaponry and Gaelic culture. They claimed to be the grandchildren of Prince Charles Edward Stuart. From the 1820s the Sobieski - Stuart brothers were responsible for many of the tartans now accepted as being the “old and true tartans” of many clans. John Sobieski Stolberg Stuart and his brother Charles Edward Stuart claimed to be the legitimate grandsons of King Charles III. They claimed that Queen Louise and King Charles III had a son who was handed over to the captain of an English warship to protect him from assassination attempts. The Sobieski brothers claimed to be sons of this child. They fooled many in society. In reality, the Sobieski – Stuarts were born in Wales to English parents as John Carter Allen (1795–1872) and Charles Manning Allen (1802–1880). From 1847 they lost favour after their reputations were damaged by the press.
This Victorian post horn is made from a cow horn and has a metal mouthpiece decorated with a caberfeidh (stag's head) and shield. It is on a shoulder string. It is said to have been used on the Fort William mail coach. The powerful noise of a horn was the best way to get messages across, usually some form of ‘Get out of the way!’
This is the Highland outfit Queen Victoria (1819 – 1901) presented to her trusted Scottish servant, John Brown (1826 - 1883), on the occasion of her daughter, Princess Louise’s marriage. John Brown was the Queen’s personal servant at Balmoral and their special relationship is well documented. He once saved her life by stopping a runaway pony and cart. The pieces are all traditional dress accoutrements, but show the influence of Victorian taste in their elaborate design. They are inscribed “V.R. to J.B. 21st March 1871”. On that date the Princess Louise was married at Windsor to the Marquis of Lorne, later the 9th Duke of Argyll. The outfit includes a silver mounted sporran, dirk in a scabbard, sword in a scabbard, Sgian/Sgean dubh in sheath, two black leather belts (one with silver buckle), a powder horn, plaid brooch. Images in the gallery show Brown possibly wearing this Highland outfit.
This rare and exquisite memorial tie pin was commissioned by Queen Victoria (1819 – 1901) on the death of John Brown (1826 – 1883). The Queen gifted it to Brown’s relations. The Queen had a close relationship with Brown, her favourite servant. After the death of her husband in 1861, the monarch turned to Brown, her trusted Highland ghillie, and it was even rumoured that they were romantically involved, although there is no evidence to support this. The statues and private memorials that Victoria had created for Brown during her life time were destroyed in the early 20th century at the order of her son, Edward VII (1841 – 1910), with whom Brown had often clashed because he resented Brown’s influence.
This is a beautiful example of a 19th century child’s tartan dress. The full skirt with flared sleeves is hand stitched. The tartan sett is Murray Mansfield (a variation of the Murray of Atholl) tartan with trimming of red Murray of Tullibardine tartan. The family who donated this piece tell the story that the piece of material used for the dress came from a soldier family member who took part in the Jacobite risings of 1745. While retreating from Derby, the soldier started to fear that he may be killed in battle. He took a piece of his Highland outfit, had it blessed, and handed it to a courier, who was given instructions to deliver it to the family. "The soldier told the courier that if all future children of the family were swathed in this material, it would keep them safe and bring them long and successful lives." It is not known exactly when the decision was made to make the material into a dress, but it is recorded that a young male member of the family was the first to wear it.
The iconic Lochaber axe has been included in the gallery because it is still an important symbol of the area today, even appearing on the West Highland Museum’s logo. The Lochaber axe is a long-handled battle-axe used by the Highland foot soldier. The design is a form of halberd. The first record of its use is around 1570 when Clan Cameron carried it during the Battle of Bun Garbhain between Clan Cameron and Clan Mackintosh. This pair of Lochaber axes originate from Taymouth Castle and were made for the visit of Queen Victoria to the castle in 1842. The Queen stayed at Taymouth for three days where she was treated to a lavish display of Highland culture.
This is a coffin guard or mort safe and is designed to prevent body snatchers stealing the corpse of someone who has recently died. In the early 18th century medical schools in Scotland started to use dissection methods to teach the medical sciences. They general used executed criminals, but found demand out stripped supply. This gave rise to a trade in body snatching, stealing bodies from fresh graves and selling them to anatomists. The practice shocked society, but no effective deterrent was found until around 1816 when the iron coffin guard was invented. It was placed around and over the coffin. This one is missing its lid. It would protect the body until it had decayed suitably to make body snatching undesirable to the thieves. These were expensive to make, so only the rich could afford them. Sometimes churches would buy them and hire them out. This guard was from the old Glen Nevis cemetery in Fort William. It is one of the museum’s most sinister objects.
These decorated silver ceremonial spades were used to cut the first sods of local railway lines in the late 19th century. The first spade was used to cut the first sod of the West Highland Line, the 160-mile track from Glasgow to Mallaig. The turf was cut by Lord Abinger, Chairman of the Railway Company, on the 23 October 1889. At the time, the West Highland area was suffering through a lack of transport. In October 1887 the provost of Fort William N. B. MacKenzie mobilised local support for a new railway connection with Glasgow. The British Northern Railway agreed to offer part of the funds, with the British government providing the rest. The second spade is from the cutting of the turf of the Fort Augustus railway by Mrs Edward Ellice on 2 March 1897. This was the route from Spean Bridge via Invergarry to Fort Augustus. This line closed permanently in 1946. The Glasgow to Mallaig route is still operational today and is often heralded as one of the most scenic railway journeys in the world.
Two pairs of pistols that belonged to Lochaber man Major James MacFarlane (1774 - 1849) who worked in India with the Honourable East India Company. The first pair are percussion pistols with octagonal barrels, a ramrod, and a belt hook, and were made by gunsmith W. Powell. They date from the 1830s or early 1840s. There is a pistol and a spare. They would probably have been sold together in a presentation box, usually with gunpowder and a bullet making kit. The second pair are percussion mechanism pistols made by Hewson of London, a fairly big gun manufacturer of the era. These pistols have been dated to the first decade of the 19th century. They are a last defence weapon and a person would conceal the weapon on their person and use it to either end their own life, or the life of their attacker.
This iconic 1st pattern F-S Fighting Knife was designed by William Fairbairn and Eric Sykes in 1940. The duo trained special forces including the SOE and commandos here in Lochaber during the Second World War. Wilkinson Sword manufactured the fighting knives that were used for close combat by the British Commandos and Allied special forces. The techniques of effective use for this weapon were taught to various special forces at Highland training centres such as Lochailort Special Training Centre and Achnacarry, which was the Commando Basic Training Centre from 1942-1945. This dagger had been handed in to a police station in the south of Scotland as part of a knife amnesty and was scheduled for destruction. By chance a serving police officer, with an interest in Commando history, spotted the knife, recognised its historic importance and gifted to the museum.
This is an example of Chinese export porcelain designed to Western taste. This is armorial ware or heraldic china where the ceramic is decorated with a coat of arms. It was very popular among the clan chiefs in the 18th century who ordered their great dinner services, tea services and decorative pieces made to order. These objects reflected the latest in fashion, not just in their decorations but also in their forms, which evolved as trends emerged and 18th-century cuisine developed. This punch bowl is decorated with the arms of John, 2nd Duke of Argyll, who commanded the English army at Sherrifmuir in November 1715. This is just one of many examples of clan export china in our collection.
Metal knife blade with no handle. Although the knife is poorly constructed and rusting its important because it was purportedly found on Drumossie Moor near Inverness. This was the site of the Battle of Culloden, the last engagement of the 1745 Rising. Interestingly, it was loaned to the museum in 1925 for the “Prince Charles Edward and the ’45 Campaign” exhibition by Mrs A. Mansfield-Forbes, a close friend of the museum’s founder Victor Hodgson. It was never reclaimed by its owner and has remained in our care ever since. However, in 2019, Mrs Mansfield-Forbes’ great grandson contacted the museum after he found a loans form and correspondence relating to the loan while researching his genealogy. The knife was officially gifted to the museum in 2019 along with copies of correspondence from the original lender.
Prince Charles Edward Stuart's (1720 - 1788) death mask. Thought to be a copy of an original made by Barnar dina Lucchesi, one of a family of modellers in Rome. brought this mask to Scotland in 1839. The mask had been handed down through his family. Lucchesi settled in Glasgow where he continued to work as a modeller until 1863. Lucchesi fell on hard times and some of his belongings, including the mask, were sold. Eventually the mask ended up being purchased by a sculptor named Ferguson. When it came into Ferguson's possession it was said to have hairs attached adhering to the eyebrows and eyelids! This bronze cast of the death mask was loaned to the museum in 1951 by the Scottish independence campaigner Wendy Wood.
A pair of decorative 18th century shoe buckles with paste 'jewels'. Said to have been worn by Flora MacDonald (1722 -1790). Flora was a heroine of the 1745 Jacobite Rising. After two months on the run, Prince Charles Edward Stuart arrived at the island of South Uist where he met 24 year-old Flora. As both her step-father and her fiancée Allan MacDonald were in the Hanoverian army of King George II, she was an unlikely ally. However, she agreed to help the Prince escape from his pursuers by smuggling him away from the island by boat.
Image of Flora MacDonald’s buckles
Image of Flora MacDonald’s dress fragment
Bone china fluted handle less tea cup and deep saucer said to have been part of a set that belonged to Flora MacDonald (1722 -1790).
Image of Flora MacDonald’s tea cup
Image of Flora MacDonald’s mum’s prayer book